Lunar Lagoon (comic story)
Lunar Lagoon was a Fifth Doctor comic story published in Doctor Who Monthly.
Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
As the Fifth Doctor enjoys fishing on of a beach of an island in Pacific Ocean, he suddenly come under gunfire. Waving a white flag, he is taken prisoner by a lone Japanese soldier, Fuji. Although at first the Doctor thinks World War II has ended, he soon learns that this is not the case when he witnesses a Japanese aeroplane shooting an American plane that goes down over the island the next morning .
Fuji is caught in the blast of one of the aeroplane's bombs and is injured. The Doctor tries to help him, but, after he implies that the reason why Fuji is alone on this island is he is a deserter, Fuji wanders into the moonlit jungle. He finds the parachute of a downed American pilot. Although his injuries render him barely able to stand, Fuji is determined to prove his honour by killing the American. He tries to shoot him, only to discover that his gun is unloaded. The American pilot kills Fuji.
The Doctor walks back to the TARDIS, thinking he was right to remove the bullets from Fuji's gun because, if he had not, Fuji would have killed him. Wracked with guilt, the Doctor concludes that if he tells himself that often enough he might believe it one day.
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Fuji shares his name with Mount Fuji, a similarity he regards as a constant personal burden, and was initially a fisherman in Okinawa. He became part of a forward observation patrol for the Japanese military out of duty. He studies reefs and tides as a specialisation and knows how to find clams, oysters and the occasional pearl.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Despite the title, Lunar Lagoon has nothing to do with the moon and does not feature a lagoon. It is possible, although highly figurative, that the titular "lunar lagoon" refers to a singular scene in the story. Fuji gazes out at a moonlit river and rekindles memories of "the boats, nets and coral reefs" found not far from his home in Okinawa.
- Lunar Lagoon presents an interesting problem with regards to the introduction of companion, Gus Goodman. Events imply and artwork illustrates that the man who shoots Fuji dead is indeed Gus. Although, the American pilot in Lunar Lagoon is never named. However, Gus's assertion in COMIC: 4-Dimensional Vistas that he hasn't "even made a kill yet," runs contrary to that assumption. Gus also demonstrates panic at being shot at and, despite being in the war for a year, has only heard and not seen that "the Japanese can take care of themselves." This inconsistency, whether a deliberate narrative choice or a production oversight, is never explained.
- The Doctor initially believes the year is 1983 and Fuji is one of the lost Japanese soldiers of the Pacific. He learns the truth in the following story.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The Doctor's "second favourite past time" is fishing. (TV: The Androids of Tara)
- The Doctor had come to the island "seeking rest and recuperation from his trials on Gallifrey". (COMIC: The Stockbridge Horror)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
